“Tell me about yourself”
A 60–90 second answer that sounds like a story, not a résumé read out loud.
What they’re listening for
- • Who you are right now
- • A thread that connects your experience
- • Why you're talking to them
Go present → past → future: what you do now, how you got here (one or two highlights), and why this role makes sense next. Skip the full timeline; it's already on your résumé.
Stiff vs. natural
Interviewer: “So, tell me a little about yourself.”
Sounds stiff
“My name is Ana. I graduated from university in 2018 with a degree in Computer Science. After that I worked at Company A as a Junior Developer, where I was responsible for developing features. Then I worked at Company B as a Software Engineer.”
Sounds natural
“Sure! So right now I'm a backend engineer at a fintech startup. I mostly work on our payments API, which is a fun mix of “make it fast” and “never, ever lose money.” Before that I spent three years at an agency, which was great because I got thrown into a lot of different projects. These days I'm looking for a team where I can go deeper on one product, and that's a big part of why this role caught my eye.”
- Starts with now, not with graduation.
- One light line (“never, ever lose money”) makes it memorable.
- Ends by connecting to their role, which is the recruiter's real question.
Phrases that link your story
- “So right now I'm…”Start in the present.
- “Before that, I spent [X years] at…”Move back in time quickly.
- “What I really enjoyed there was…”Add some personality.
- “Which is kind of how I ended up…”Connect the dots.
- “And that's a big part of why this role caught my eye.”Land on them.
Humor and life talk
Works well
- • One self-aware line about your work
- • A relatable detail about your current job
Skip it
- • More than one joke: it's a pitch, not a stand-up set
- • Jokes about past employers
Example: “I'm the person on my team who actually enjoys writing docs. I know, I know.”
Now say it out loud
Rehearse with the AI interviewer and get feedback on your answers.